Epilouge:  Man in the Glass House
by Aeiu
Summary: Everybody needs a thug.


EPILOGUE: MAN IN THE GLASS HOUSE

By Aeiu

_Joe Cadillac has written a biography which is highly unflattering of Judge Milton C. Hardcastle. Hardcastle decides to investigate Cadillac for any information he might have on other mob members. Mark McCormick is less than thrilled with the new case pointing out that it's dangerous it is to mess with the mob. He is impressed when Hardcastle tells him how, many years ago; he challenged Cadillac to a fight to defend his wife's honor. Later, when Cadillac goes to the judge for help, McCormick stands up to Cadillac's bodyguard._

Sarah Wicks had lived at Gull's Way for many years so she knew all of the sounds that the house made and all the sounds that it didn't. It only took a minute of intense listening to determine the unidentified noises were coming from the estate's kitchen.

She sighed as she reached for her robe. She realized it could only mean one thing; Judge Hardcastle's newest rehabilitation project was making one of his famous raids on her kitchen. She didn't know where he put it. He had seconds at supper and had shared a large bowl of popcorn with the Judge during their evening movie but was still hungry. At the rate he was going, he'd eat the Judge into the poor house in no time. She quietly slipped into the kitchen and turned on the light.

"Jesus!" yelped Mark McCormick, Gull's Way resident ex-con, with a start as he balanced the cold cuts, bread, various condiments, and other items in his overstuffed arms. "Oh, good evening," he grinned guiltily.

Sarah had to work to suppress a smile. There was a little boy quality about him that brought out her grandmother instincts but, as she constantly reminded herself, he was an ex-felon who would be in jail if not for the judge's intervention. She wasn't really sure how she felt about him. He could be lazy, messy and disrespectful to the judge but he always got his work done, the judge enjoyed his company, and he was always respectful to her. She remembered how he had stood up to Joseph Cadillac when he came to the estate. When she thought of all the lies that awful man had said about the Judge in his book, she wished she had taken a broom to him and the thug that he had brought with him.

"What are you doing here this time of night?" she asked sternly.

"I couldn't sleep so I thought a little snack would help," he said with a shrug as he tried to keep everything in his arm.

"And you thought pickled peppers and onions would help?"

"It's worked before."

"Put that stuff back in the refrigerator. Neatly! And I'll make you some hot milk."

"Hot milk," McCormick grimaced, "that's old pe…."

Sarah turned and gave him the evil eye she had learned from her mother.

"That sounds wonderful," McCormick backtracked. He decided it was better to drink hot milk than suffer the wrath of the recently awakened housekeeper. He carefully replaced all of the items into the refrigerator and sat by the table as she prepared the milk.

Sarah noticed that even while sitting McCormick couldn't seem to remain still. His eyes darted around the room and he rocked his chair as if he planned to bolt at any second. "What's gotten into you, boy? You're as bad as a cat in a rocking chair factory."

"Nervous energy. It was a busy day. A lot of stuff could have gone wrong. I, I mean, we got lucky."

Sarah thought back to her earlier conversation with Judge Hardcastle. He had been happy, no proud, when he told her how McCormick had gone with him into the police station to confess to breaking into the impound lot. She had been surprised that Mark had been willing to risk his parole to do the right thing. "You must have known the judge wouldn't have let them revoke your parole for helping him," she said.

"What?" questioned McCormick as he took the cup from Sarah's hand.

"At the police station. The judge wouldn't have let them revoke your parole for helping to save Father Atias."

McCormick sipped his milk and paused as he thought back over the incident. "Yeah, that was pretty dicey. It's a good thing that Lieutenant Carlton had a sense of humor. I didn't think Hardcase was going to stop confessing until we were both on the bus to the big house."

Sarah was confused. The last minute confession to the police didn't seem to be what was bothering the young man. "Did something else happen?"

McCormick put down his cup and stared into Sarah's eyes. He didn't want to tell her what had happened but he could still feel the icy hand of death which had come so close. He felt an overwhelming need to talk with someone. "Right after we saved Father Atias and we pulled Cadillac's files from the car; Davey got behind me."

"Who?"

"Davey, Cadillac's thug. The one he brought to the house. Everyone was interested in the files, the burning car, or Cadillac. No one was paying attention to Davey. Next thing I knew he had his arm draped around my neck. He told me that I had a smart mouth and I was lucky that Cadillac liked me. Then he gave me a squeeze and walked away." McCormick shuddered as he thought back to the iron-like muscles that had pressed against his neck.

"I don't understand."

McCormick sighed. It was easy to forget how much people didn't know. "On the street, Davey's known as 'The Snapper'." He likes to get ahold of people and snap their neck. They say most of his kills are dead before they hit the ground."

"He threatened you! In front of the police!" Sarah exclaimed outraged.

"He gave me a message. Even with the police there I don't think he'd be worried about having another kill on his record. Like I said I was lucky that Cadillac liked me."

"If you knew he was that dangerous why did you sass the man?"

McCormick shrugged. "Hardcastle needed a thug."

"The Judge does not need a thug," Sarah said angrily. "And he certainly didn't bring you into this house to be his thug."

McCormick shook his head as he realized he'd have to explain criminal etiquette. "Davey's more than Cadillac's thug. He's been with the man for years. He's loyal. So loyal that he's prepared to stand by Cadillac even when all the other bosses are against him. Everyone knows that to get to Cadillac they got to go through Davey. He makes sure people show Cadillac respect. It tells everyone that Cadillac is the type of man that deserves respect."

"And when they came to the house?"

"He pushed to let the Judge to let him know that he wasn't equal to Cadillac. If Hardcastle had answered back, it would've showed that he didn't have anyone backing him. Hardcastle needed a thug to handle Davey so I became his thug."

"So you're the Judge's thug now," Sarah said with a small smile.

"No!" McCormick denied. "That was just show for Cadillac and Davey. Hardcase is still a donkey. Getting me involved with mob bosses then then confessing to something even after we got away with it." He shrugged. "I just didn't want him disrespected in his own house. Not by those guys. Doesn't mean I like him or anything."

"Weren't you scared?"

McCormick gave her a self–effacing grin. "My heart was in my throat every time I talked to him but I figured if Hardcastle could face down Cadillac in a parking lot then I could handle Davey,"

"So you wanted to be like the Judge?"

"You can be pretty insulting early in the morning," McCormick mused, "I am nothing like him," He yawned as he finished the last drops of milk. "I think this stuff is working."

"Well you go on up to bed. I'll see you in the morning. We're having pancakes."

"Hey, that's my favorite. Night, Sarah."

"Good night, Mark."

The next day Sarah went to the market. She shook her head as she reviewed the grocery list which had lengthened considerably since McCormick joined the household. She cringed inwardly when she heard a familiar but unwelcomed voice behind her.

"Sarah, my dear," said Mrs. Oberson, the housekeeper from down the road. "How are you doing? We were all shocked to hear that Judge Hardcastle had brought another one of those awful people into the house. You must be terrified for your life."

"It's nothing like that."

"What's he like?" Oberson asked as she fished for detail. "I heard he's a thief and a vicious thug."

"He's a thug but he's a good one. And I won't hear a word against him," Sarah said as she pulled her cart away leaving Mrs. Oberson behind.

"Besides he's the Judge's thug," she said to herself with a smile.

THE END


End file.
